PHOENIX – Several studies show that homeschooling kids may benefit some children later in life. But a lot of parents don’t really know where to start.

Kim Wilson, a mother of five from Gilbert, just started lessons with her 7-year-old son Kyden. She says he liked kindergarten but struggled with first grade so she decided to try out homeschooling.

Raeleen Brown is a mother of seven who homeschools all of her children. She says her decision was based on being in charge of the content of the curriculum, teaching responsibilities at home and teaching about the family’s faith.

The Arizona homeschool community may need to gear up for an increase in its ranks. When U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, announced yesterday the winners in the Race to the Top competition for billions of dollars in federal assistance for state education funding, Arizona had missed a $250 million windfall by 5.3 points.

This examiner predicts that there will be an upsurge in families deciding to homeschool because of the issues that are being exacerbated in the public schools.

If you are having second thoughts about your local public school, and the programs and staff that it no longer has, you may want to consider the pros and cons of homeschooling.